Assessment of Salivary Bacterial Level and Dental Caries Experience in a Group of Egyptian Children with Black Stained Teeth: (A Cross Sectional Study)

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the salivary bacterial level and dental caries experience in children with black stained teeth. Methods: The sample comprised 73 children aged 4-6 years with black stains where the caries experience was evaluated using dmft index. Also, the salivary sample was taken into a sterile container and taken to the laboratory within 1 hour for processing. In the laboratory saliva dilution was done and sample was placed into a plate which contains Brain heart infusion agar. From the plate, identification of the morphology of Actinomyces was done. The colony of Actinomyces on the plate was counted with colony counter using colony forming unit. With the same salivary sample the pH was measured using the pH meter. Results: Among the children with BS, the mean dmft was (2.3), most children had very low dmft score (42.5%). So this showed lower caries experience in children with black stains. Regarding the Actinomyces count the results showed higher number of Actinomyces in children with BS. However it was statistically insignificant. pH of the studied children was mainly in the alkaline range with a mean (9.07) with prevalence (75.2%). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that in this small sample of Egyptian children with black stainsthey were found to have lower caries experience. The salivary bacterial count of Actinomyces was high in the same group of children and that the higher the Actinomyces number the less the dmft score. The children with BS also showed pH mainly in the alkaline range.